Ryan won’t say if House will vote on immigrant recognition bill

By Kelsey Cole, CNN

(CNN) — A bill that would grant legal recognition to the Senate’s changing demographics ran into an unexpected roadblock Tuesday, when House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to say whether he would move it to the floor of the House.

With an overwhelming number of Republican senators of color, the measure passed the Senate last month on a bipartisan vote of 94-3, but faces a tougher challenge in the Republican-controlled House.

CNN correspondent Shannon Bream asked Ryan at a news conference if he would allow a vote on the bill if it were brought to the floor.

“You should ask the sponsor of the bill,” he said, referring to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat of Nevada who cosponsored the proposal.

When pressed, Ryan pointed to legislation that addresses issues of domestic violence as an example of a more urgent need.

Ryan has been an outspoken proponent of immigrants and their families crossing the border to seek asylum.

According to his schedule released Tuesday, Ryan said he will travel to Colorado on Wednesday, before plans to take a trip to the central part of Ohio on Thursday.

CNN’s John Berman and Ali Velshi contributed to this report.

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